After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage By Cassila K

Chapter 52

Cooking was never my forte. My culinary repertoire consisted of exactly one dish: carbonara. Simple enough to be foolproof - or so I'd always thought.

Yet today, each attempt was an abject failure. Overcooked pasta, curdled sauce - as if the kitchen itself was rejecting my efforts.

I ate each failed attempt myself.

The clock ticked mercilessly as I mentally counted down.

I imagined Luke would arrive, we'd have his birthday dinner, and then I'd vanish from his life. Like waiting for an execution.

But he never showed.

Instead, came a phone call dripping with transparent deceit. "Mandy cut her finger while cooking," he said with exaggerated concern, "had to take her to the ER. Don't wait up."

The casual cruelty of his lies was almost comical in its absurdity.

fresh post showing them celebrating, wrapped around each other before

there?" Luke's impatient voice cut

into my tone. "It's fine, don't worry

then dumped the carbonara into the trash - a fitting metaphor

just another completed chapter in Luke's story. Fine. I'd release him from his obligation. He'd probably celebrate his

hallway, marking

late-night messages, intimate

posted it

was leaving, they wouldn't get to rewrite this

takeoff, I sent one final

didn't formally

truly been his girlfriend - just

Content belong.net

he'd brushed aside without a second

to power down my phone, it exploded with notifications, his name flashing like an